Method of packaging a flexible elongate element

ABSTRACT

Method of coiling a flexible elongate element ( 64 ) inside a container ( 80 A) made from a flexible sheet material wherein at least part of the sheet material is tensioned by establishing a pressure differential between an inner surface ( 100 ) and an outer surface ( 92 ) of the sheet material and the flexible elongate element ( 64 ) is directed onto the tensioned sheet material to form a hole ( 98 ), the flexible elongate element being then fed through the hole to form a coil inside the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the packaging of a flexible elongateelement.

As used herein “flexible elongate element” includes a flexible orsemi-flexible wire, strand, yarn, monofilament, cord, cable, tubing andpipe or any similar product, or combination thereof.

Diverse devices have been used for the packaging or storage of flexibleelongate elements. These includes spools, reels, bobbins, doughnuts,carton and blister packages, shrink wrap, plastic bags and the like, andarrangements in which coils of the element are formed and then securedor restrained by means of tape, cable ties, twist ties or otherrestraining mediums in suitable rolls or reels.

Many of the materials which are used in conventional packaging are notreusable and, after use, are consigned to waste often without recyclingtaking place.

It is desirable for a packaging technique to be used which allows fordirect dispensing of the flexible elongate element, from the package,according to requirement. Normally the packaging material which is usedadds no value to the packaged product, and the cost of the packagingmaterial is an expense to be borne by the consumer. If the packagingmaterial is of a bulky nature the cost of transport and storage of thepackaged product is increased and, at a retail outlet, additionaldemands are placed on display space. By way of example only, amonofilament line used, for example, in a grass cutter, may be wound,initially, into the form of a coil which is then secured by an operator,using one or more fasteners, such as a cable tie or the like. Thereafterthe coil is placed inside a plastic bag which is sealed. Upon use, theplastic bag is opened and the fastener or fasteners on the coil arereleased. The coil windings are then no longer restrained and the linecan become tangled, due to the resilience of the material from which theline is made, or as a result of handling or due to other factors, andthe tangled coil would then be difficult to handle.

In another approach a coil is placed together with a backing sheet intoa cavity of a blister pack to which a header card is attached. The endresult is a packaged product of relatively large dimensions compared tothe dimensions of the coil.

A survey of the prior art discloses a large number of approaches to thepackaging of flexible elongate elements. Without being exhaustive theseinclude U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,005, EP17148879, JP2000344285, U.S. Pat. No.3,512,634, JPH10264938, U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,185, GB2085404, U.S. Pat.No. 8,230,995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,479, U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,165, U.S.Pat. No. 7,007,442, U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,194, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,516,U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,089, US201309254, U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,479, U.S. Pat.No. 3,402,810, U.S. Pat. No. 1,154,212, U.S. Pat. No. 3,402,810, U.S.Pat. No. 7,007,442, WO9907630. A full analysis of these prior arttechniques is not contained herein for, to a greater or lesser extent,in the applicant's view, these prior art techniques are typified by atleast some of the disadvantages or drawbacks referred to hereinbefore(i.e. material wastage, bulky end-product, complicated packagingrequirement, tangled line, difficult to dispense, etc.)

For example U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,005 discloses the use of a sealedplastic container which has an internal cavity. The container has anaperture formed into a backing sheet. A monofilament line is wound intoa coil, in the container, by winding the line through the aperture tocreate a packaged product, with a desired length of line, which is heldin coiled form by the package and not by a secondary means such as anadhesive tape. A benefit of this technique is that the line can beremoved from the packaging by pulling on an exposed loose end of themonofilament, through the aperture in the backing sheet. Despite thebenefits in U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,005 the packaging material which isrequired is still relatively expensive. The making of the packagingmaterial calls for multiple steps, namely the forming of a containerwith a cavity, the production of a backing sheet with an aperture, thebonding of the cavity container to the backing sheet to provide aclosed, preformed container with an aperture, and the dispensing of themonofilament line into the container. A disadvantage which can ariseduring use is that a loose end of the line may become located inside thecavity in which event it can be difficult to recover the loose endwithout breaking the container.

The present invention is concerned with a packaging method which, inbroad terms, is intended to address, at least partially, the variousdrawbacks which have been identified by the applicant as beingassociated with prior art techniques.

In particular, one objective of the invention is to provide a simplifiedpackaging method which is user-friendly and cost effective and which canbe implemented using a minimal amount of packaging material. Thisreduces the weight and size of a packaged product, helps to combattransport and storage costs, and reduces the demand for an increasedallocation of shelf space at a retail outlet.

Another objective is to provide a packaging method which does notrequire the use of two separately formed components which are bonded orotherwise secured to each other.

A further objective is allow for the packaging of a flexible elongateelement into a container which does not have a preformed aperture forthe element and which allows for the element to be dispensed with ease,for use, with a reduced likelihood that a loose end of the element caninadvertently be located inside the container, an event which normallymeans that the element can only be recovered with some difficulty, fromthe inside of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a method of packaging a flexible elongate elementwhich has a leading end, the method including the steps of providing acontainer which has a wall, of flexible sheet material, which at leastpartly encloses a cavity of variable size, the wall including an innersurface which faces the cavity and an opposing outer surface,establishing a pressure differential between at least part of the innersurface and at least part of the outer surface thereby to tension atleast a part of the flexible sheet material, directing said leading endinto contact with a location on the tensioned part of the flexible sheetmaterial thereby to form a hole at the location, in the wall, feedingsaid end through the hole into the cavity, restraining movement of theleading end, and forming a coil of the elongate flexible element insidethe cavity by continuing to feed the flexible elongate element into thecavity.

The flexible elongate element may be of the kind referred tohereinbefore i.e. a flexible or semi-flexible wire, strand, yarn,monofilament, cord, cable, tube, pipe or any similar product orcombination thereof. The flexible element should have a reasonabledegree of stiffness so that sufficient force can be applied to it, in anaxial direction, to penetrate the flexible sheet material and form thehole in the wall. Additionally the flexible elongate element should havea degree of resilience or a memory which causes the element to be coiledinside the cavity when the leading end is restrained against movement.The leading end may be restrained against movement while inside, oroutside, the cavity.

The flexible sheet material is preferably an appropriate plasticsmaterial.

The container may be pre-formed.

In one form of the invention the container is one of a plurality ofsimilar containers which are formed in succession from an elongatetubular member which is made from a plastics material. The member may betransported past a forming and sealing station which forms the membercontinuously into a plurality of containers in succession with eachcontainer being of a predetermined size.

Each container may be formed with at least one aperture which, when andas required, allows for a gas, eg. air to flow through the aperture,into or out of the cavity (of variable size) which is defined by thecontainer i.e. which is enclosed by the flexible sheet material whichmakes up the container.

The container is preferably provided in a deflated form.

The container, in deflated form, may be positioned in contact with, ormay subsequently be brought into contact with, at least one suitablesupport. The support may contact the container from one side, or thesupport, or multiple supports, may wholly or partially enclose thecontainer.

The container defines a cavity of variable size. When the container isdeflated the size of the cavity is effectively zero. However, asindicated, by creating a differential pressure between an inner surfaceof the flexible sheet material and an outer surface of the flexiblesheet material the size of the container may be increased.

The pressure differential can be established in different ways. Use maybe made of a gas, e.g. air, to inflate the cavity so that the size ofthe cavity is thereby enlarged. In a different approach a reducedpressure, ie. a vacuum is applied to the outer surface of the wall and agas is allowed to flow into the cavity. Effectively a higher pressurethen prevails inside the cavity than outside and, as a consequence, thesize of the cavity is increased.

The flexible elongate element may be drawn from a coil or reel asrequired or, alternatively, directly from equipment which is used tomanufacture or process the element.

The leading end of the elongate flexible element may be directed ontothe wall of the container by applying sufficient force, to the element,in an axial direction of the element to allow the leading end topuncture the flexible sheet material and enter the cavity. The leadingend of the element may be allowed to move inside the cavity until theleading end comes into contact with an appropriate location on the innersurface of the sheet material, or with a part of the sheet materialwhich is backed by a suitable formation on a support. The leading endmay be allowed to penetrate the sheet material again, and to exit thecavity, whereafter further movement of the leading end is restrained.The net effect is such that movement of the leading end inside oroutside the cavity, as the case may be, is restricted and is effectivelystopped.

Movement of the flexible element into the cavity is however continued bycontinuously applying force to the element in its axial direction. Suchmovement can only take place if the element can bend, inside the cavity.The element should have sufficient stiffness so that it can be directedinto the cavity. It should also have a memory which allows it to take upa coiled form, automatically, as an additional quantity of the materialis moved into the cavity.

The leading end of the element may be brought to a stop, inside thecavity, immediately before coiling of the element inside the containercommences. The leading end may for example contact an inner surface ofthe flexible sheet material or a surface against which the flexiblesheet material abuts. The coiling effect can however be initiated in adifferent way. Thus, as the leading end enters the container, in whichcoiling is to take place, the speed at which the leading end moves isreduced. This can be due to a frictional effect, as a result of aninitial coiling action, or the like. However, the speed at which theflexible element is fed into the cavity inside the container isgenerally substantially constant due to the use of suitable handlingequipment of a mechanised nature. Thus, the flexible element is fed intothe cavity at a speed which is greater than the speed at which theleading end of the element can move (even if the leading end has notbeen stopped) and the additional material coming into the cavity canonly be accommodated if the material takes up a coiled form inside thecavity.

To enable the leading end to penetrate the flexible sheet material anappropriate support can be used to secure the sheet material while thepuncturing process takes place.

If a support is used to provide physical support for the flexible sheetmaterial, the support can be shaped, permanently or temporarily, so thatthe flexible elongate element is guided in a specific direction as itenters the cavity.

In order to implement the method of the invention successfully it isnecessary to evaluate a flexible elongate element to see whether it issuitable for packaging in accordance with the techniques describedherein. Inter alia the memory of the material from which the element ismade must be investigated to determine its ideal coil diameter. Puncturetests of different thicknesses of different types of flexible sheetmaterial are performed with the element to determine the maximumthickness of the sheet material which can be used and to ensure that theelement is capable of puncturing the packaging material. A selection ismade of a suitable range of packaging materials and the thicknessesthereof, and then the required quantity of the flexible element isdetermined following a calculation of dimension and volume asappropriate. Different flexible elements are manufactured, handled,conveyed or formed in a diverse range of techniques. However a facilityprovided by the current invention is to allow for appropriate choices tobe made so that a range of different flexible elements can besuccessfully packaged through a judicious determination of theparameters referred to.

The flexible sheet material can be in the form of one or more layers ofplastic, elastomers, metal, metallised film, paper, carton, textiles,textile fabrics, or any suitable combination thereof. The packagingmaterial (i.e. the sheet material) can be formed from a static oranti-static material, a natural or synthetic material, or from acombination thereof. The packaging can be biodegradable or compostable.The packaging material must however be such that the chosen flexibleelongate element can puncture the material and enter the cavity, in themanner which has been described.

Use may be made of a guide, e.g. a tubular member, through which theflexible elongate element passes, to direct the leading end into contactwith the flexible sheet material thereby to ensure that the leading endpunctures the sheet material at the location.

Use may be made of a cutting mechanism to sever the flexible elongateelement once a predetermined length thereof has been fed into thecavity. This may produce a trailing end of the elongate element which ispositioned outside the cavity. This is desirable for it allows a user togrip the trailing end, when required, so that a length of the flexibleelement can be withdrawn from the cavity for use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is further described by way of examples with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of apparatus used to implement themethod of the invention,

FIGS. 2A to 2F schematically illustrate successive steps in carrying outthe method of the invention,

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 depict possible modifications to the inventive process,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a reusable holder or housing which canbe used with a product produced by the method of the invention, and

FIGS. 7A and 7B show how a flexible element can be dispensed frompackaging in which it is contained.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagrammatic representation ofapparatus 10 used to implement a method according to one form of theinvention.

The apparatus embodies three workstations 12, 14 and 16 respectivelywhich are used to process the product 20 which is to be packaged, andpackaging material 22.

The packaging material, in this embodiment, includes a coil 24 of anelongate flexible tubular member 26, mounted for rotation about an axis28. The tubular member 26 is made from flexible sheet material of anysuitable kind, as referred to hereinbefore. The tubular member, in coilform, is deflated i.e. essentially pressed flat with opposing sections30 and 32 respectively.

The workstation 12 includes components 12A and 12B respectively whichare movable together, under the control of a suitable control mechanism34, at regular intervals, in order to seal the sections 30 and 32together. In this way sealed portions 36 are formed at regular intervalsalong the length of the tubular member as it is unwound from the coil24. Simultaneously, opposed small apertures 38 and 40 are formed throughthe sections 30 and 32. This is done in any convenient way for exampleusing a small punch or a heated element.

The control mechanism 34 also acts on a roller system 42 which isadjacent the third workstation 16 and which functions to draw thetubular member 26 from the coil 24 at a controlled and continuous rate.

The second workstation 14 includes a base support 46 and a cover support48 which opposes the base support. The supports 46 and 48 have a space50 between them and also define a mouth 52 to the space. A source 54 ofa compressed gas e.g. air is connected to the workstation 14 via a tube56. A valve 58, which is optionally used, is positioned in the tube andcan be opened or closed by means of a suitable signal sent from thecontrol mechanism 34.

The cover support 48 includes an elongate entry structure 60 which formsa guide 62 of generally tubular shape.

The product 20 is held in a suitable form adjacent the workstation 14.The product may for example be provided in coiled form, contained on thereel, in a suitable housing, or the like. Alternatively, the product isdirectly supplied from equipment (not shown) used to manufacture orprocess the product. The product comprises a flexible elongate element64 generally of the kind described hereinbefore. The element 64 isdirected by means of a suitable feed structure 66, e.g. a plurality ofrollers, into a bore 68 of the guide 62.

The third workstation 16, which is positioned downstream of an exit port70 from the space 50 contains a cutting device 72 to which product,emerging from the workstation 14, is presented. Another cutting device76 is positioned at an entry to the guide 62. The cutting devices arecontrolled by the control mechanisms 34.

FIGS. 2A to 2F schematically illustrate various stages of the productionof a packaged product during operation of the apparatus 10.

The working of the apparatus 10 is controlled by the control mechanism34 which is a PLC, a microprocessor or the like. The invention is notlimited in this respect.

The packaging material i.e. the tubular member 26 which is made fromflexible sheet material, is drawn, in deflated form, from the coil 24and then passes, to the workstation 12. At this workstation the memberis sealed by the components 12A and 12B at regular intervals to form asuccession of containers 80. As described hereinbefore, each containerincludes an opposed pair of apertures 38 and 40—see FIG. 2A.

The tubular member 26, still in deflated form, then passes to the secondworkstation 14 and a given container 80A enters the space 50.

At the workstation 14 the aperture 40 of the given container 80A isbrought into register with an exit port 84 from the tube 56. The basesupport 46 and the cover support 48 may be moved towards each other sothat they closely surround the container 80A which is still in adeflated form and which is in the space 50. This however is notessential. If the valve 58 is used this is opened by means of a signalfrom the controller 34. Compressed air from the source 54 then flowsthrough the exit port 84 into the space 50. Most of the air flowsthrough the aperture 40 into a cavity 88 of the container 80A. Prior tothis taking place the size of the cavity 88, defined by the flexiblesheet material, is effectively zero as the container is deflated. As theair rushes through the aperture 40 into the cavity 88 the size of thecavity is increased rapidly. Additionally, the sheet material whichencloses and defines the cavity is placed under tension.

The feed structure 66 is activated, as required by the control mechanism34, to direct the flexible elongate element 64 through the guide 62. Aleading end 90 of the flexible elongate element is thereby brought intocontact with an outer surface 92 of the container 80A. In accordancewith parameters which have been discussed hereinbefore sufficient forceis applied to the flexible elongate element 64, in its axial direction96, to allow the leading end 90 to penetrate the sheet material and soform a hole 98 in a wall of the container 80A, see FIG. 2C. The sheetmaterial is sufficiently tensioned by the air in the cavity 88 so thatit does not collapse when contacted by the leading end 90. The forceexerted by the leading end on the sheet material is thus effectivelyconcentrated over a small area of the sheet material which,consequently, is readily penetrated by the leading end.

The axially directed force (in the direction 96) is applied continuouslyto the flexible elongate element. The leading end 90 strikes an innersurface 100 of the container 80A (FIG. 2D) and is deflected to one side(FIG. 2E). The leading end then impinges on an area 102 of the innersurface which is curved and which effectively restrains further movementof the leading end inside the cavity 88. Although movement of theleading end may in this manner be halted, this is not necessarily aprerequisite for coiling of the element to take place. As has beenindicated hereinbefore the speed of movement of the leading end,although not halted, may be slowed in relation to the speed at which theflexible element is being fed into the cavity inside the container.Generally the speed of the feed is constant due to the use ofappropriate handling equipment. The material which is being fed throughthe hole 98 can therefore only be accommodated inside the container ifcoiling of the element takes place—a process which occurs naturally dueto the characteristics of the material from which the element is madeand due to the confining effect of the container.

The supply of compressed air to the aperture 40 is maintained to ensurethat the cavity 88 remains enlarged to its maximum size. The leading end90 is not capable of again penetrating the flexible sheet material whichmakes up the container 80A and, consequently, as feeding of the elementcontinues, the element is formed into a coil 104 with a plurality ofoverlapping windings 106, as is shown in FIG. 2F.

The length of the flexible elongate element which is fed into the cavity88 is monitored by the feed structure 66 and when a predetermined lengthhas been coiled into the cavity the device 76 is operated to sever theflexible elongate element.

The roller system 42 is operated by the control mechanism 34 and thecontainer 80A emerges from the workstation 14 with a coiled length ofthe flexible elongate element inside the container. A trailing end 108of the element protrudes from the hole 98.

At the workstation 16 the cutting device 72 is operated and thecontainer 80A is severed from the upstream flow of containers and fallsinto a receptacle, not shown, for further processing and distribution,as may be required.

In order to inflate the deflated container use is made of the compressedair source 54 while the deflated container is positioned at theworkstation 14. In a variation of the invention the compressed airsource 54 is replaced by a vacuum device which draws air through thetube 56 when the respective container, in deflated form, is positionedin the space 50. A volume 112 between the outer surface 92 of thecontainer and an opposing inner surface of the cover support 48 isthereby partly evacuated and a reduced vacuum prevails in this volume. Aportion of the section 32 of the deflated tubular member is drawntowards the guide structure 60. The pressure prevailing inside thecavity 88 of the container 80A is also reduced and, as a consequence,air flows through the aperture 38 into the cavity 88. Due to thepressure differential which is thereby established the cavity 88 isincreased to some extent in size. A portion of section 32 is tensionedto some extent by the pressure differential and, in a manner similar towhat has been described, the feed structure 66 is actuated to drive theleading end 90 of the flexible elongate element through a location onthe wall section 32. Thereafter a coiling process which is similar towhat has been described in connection with FIGS. 2A to 2F follows and acoiled product is formed inside the cavity 88.

Thus, in one embodiment, positive air pressure is used to enlarge thecavity. In another embodiment “negative” air pressure, exerted on oneouter side of the cavity 88 is used in a controlled manner to cause thecavity to be enlarged.

The apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 provides for a continuous productionprocess. This is not necessarily the case though. For example if aflexible elongate element is to be packaged inside a container which isrelatively large then the container may, with benefit, be separatelyformed, or it may be separated from a number of similar containers. Forexample, if a hosepipe length is to be packaged, then a suitablecontainer may be a discrete component which is placed, using a suitablematerial handling system, into an appropriate workstation which isequivalent to the workstation 14. The cavity size of the container isenlarged so that at least part of the sheet material which defines thecontainer is tensioned and, in a manner similar to what has beendescribed, a leading end of the hosepipe is then caused to puncture awall of the container whereafter the hosepipe is further advanced intothe cavity to form a coiled structure.

The use of the cover support 48 is not essential. It is preferred thoughto make use of a guide to direct the leading end of the flexibleelongate element to a predetermined location on the container.Similarly, if the container has significant strength when inflated, theuse of the base support 46 is also not essential. With this type ofarrangement the container which is to serve as the packaging device ispreferably inflated with positive air pressure as opposed to using avacuum source to produce a reduced pressure region around the container.

FIG. 3 illustrates a possible modification to the arrangement shown inFIG. 1. In this instance a reinforcing structure 120, e.g. in the formof a small washer, with a central aperture 122 is used. The cavity 88 isinflated, much in the manner described, using a compressed air source atthe workstation 14. The leading end 90 of the flexible elongate elementis directed through the aperture 122 into contact with the flexiblesheet material which is surrounded by the washer. The washer acts tobrace the sheet material which is internally pressurised. The leadingend is therefore able to puncture the sheet material with relative easeand then become coiled inside the cavity.

FIG. 1 illustrates a base support 46 which has a planar or flat form.FIG. 4 shows that the base support, designated 46A, can have adeflecting surface 124 which is positioned opposite a hole 98 formed bythe leading end 90 of the flexible elongate element. The deflectingsurface 124 urges the leading end to one side and along a specific path.Optionally the base support can be formed with an aperture 126 which isat a location at which the leading end would normally be restrainedagainst further movement. By correctly positioning the variouscomponents a stressed region of the packaging material is created at theaperture 126 and, as the leading end 90 strikes this region it canpenetrate the wall of the container and emerge from the container. Ashort length of the flexible elongate element then protrudes from thecontainer. The leading end then strikes a portion 128 of the basesupport which is shaped, temporarily or permanently, for the purpose,and which inhibits further movement of the flexible elongate elementwhich then coils inside the cavity, in the manner described. The endresult, in this case, is a packaged product wherein opposed ends of theelement, held in coiled form in the container, protrude at differentlocations from the container.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of the invention in which only the basesupport 46 is employed and the cover support 48, shown in FIG. 1, is notused. The container, when inflated, bears directly against an exit 62Afrom the guide 62 which acts much in the manner of the reinforcingstructure 120 shown in FIG. 3. A portion of the wall section 32 at theexit from the guide 62 is stressed (tensioned) and the leading end 90 ofthe elongate element is then able to penetrate the wall of the flexiblesheet material with relative ease.

From the preceding description it is apparent that a flexible elementcan be packaged in a flexible container with ease and with minimaloperator input. The packaging medium is smaller and more compact thanmost arrangements which are conventionally used. The quantity ofpackaging material which is used is also reduced. The packaging materialis also normally of reduced weight compared to prior art arrangements.Retail or display space requirements are accordingly reduced. There isno need to form the container, in which the element is to be coiled,with a hole through which the element can be introduced into the cavitythat is defined by the container. The leading end of the elementautomatically forms the hole at a desired location. The coiling of theelement inside the cavity then takes place automatically as apredetermined length of the element is fed into the cavity.

Despite the aforegoing it is possible to take a packaged product whichemerges from the workstation 16 and to place it in a housing 130 whichis formed for the purpose (see FIG. 6). The housing 130 may include ahinged lid 132 which is attached to a casing 134. A protruding lead ofthe elongate element is passed through a dispensing aperture 136. Use ofthe housing 130 is of course optional. Nonetheless the housing may beused to facilitate the dispensing of an elongate element, e.g. amonofilament line, under conditions which allow for measuring of adispensed length, or to facilitate cutting of a dispensed length fromthe remainder of the coiled line held inside the housing. Theseparticular applications are exemplary only and non-limiting.

As described in connection with FIG. 4 the leading end 90 of theelongate element can be allowed to protrude from the container 80. Thisarrangement allows the elongate element to be dispensed from thecontainer 80 by pulling the end 90 in the direction of an arrow 134 i.e.to one side of the coil (see FIG. 7A).

FIG. 7B however illustrates an arrangement in which the trailing end108, which protrudes from the container, is used for dispensing in thatthe trailing end is pulled from the container 80 in a direction 136which is at a right angle to the direction 134 (in the illustrations).

1. A method of packaging a flexible elongate element which has a leadingend, the method including the steps of providing a container which has awall, of flexible sheet material, which at least partly encloses acavity of variable size, the wall including an inner surface which facesthe cavity and an opposing outer surface, establishing a pressuredifferential between at least part of the inner surface and at leastpart of the outer surface thereby to tension at least a part of theflexible sheet material, directing said leading end into contact with alocation on the tensioned part of the flexible sheet material thereby toform a hole at the location, in the wall, feeding said leading endthrough the hole into the cavity, restraining movement of the leadingend, and forming a coil of the elongate flexible element inside thecavity by continuing to feed the flexible elongate element into thecavity.
 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the flexible elongateelement is selected from the following: a flexible or semi-flexiblewire, strand, yarn, monofilament, cord, cable, tubing and pipe, or acombination thereof.
 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein thecontainer is one of a plurality of similar containers which are formedin succession from an elongate tubular member which is made from aplastics material and which is transported past a forming and sealingstation which forms the elongate tubular member continuously into aplurality of containers in succession with each container being of apredetermined size.
 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein thecontainer is formed with at least one aperture which allows for gas toflow through the aperture into, or out of, the cavity.
 5. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the pressure differential is establishedby inflating the cavity with a gas, or by applying a reduced pressure toan outer surface of the wall whereby a gas is caused to flow into thecavity.
 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the flexible elongateelement is drawn from a coil, or directly from equipment which is usedto manufacture or process the flexible elongate element.
 7. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the leading end of the flexible elongateelement is directed onto the wall of the container with the applicationof sufficient force, to the flexible elongate element, in an axialdirection of the flexible elongate element to allow the leading end toform the hole in the flexible sheet material and enter the cavity.
 8. Amethod according to claim 7 wherein after formation of the hole movementof the flexible elongate element into the cavity is continued bycontinuously applying force to the flexible elongate element in theaxial direction.
 9. A method according to claim 1, which includes thestep of physically supporting the sheet material at least at saidlocation.
 10. A method according to claim 1, which includes the step ofdirecting the leading end of the flexible elongate element through atubular guide member into contact with said location on the flexiblesheet material.
 11. A method according to claim 2 wherein the containeris one of a plurality of similar containers which are formed insuccession from an elongate tubular member which is made from a plasticsmaterial and which is transported past a forming and sealing stationwhich forms the elongate tubular member continuously into a plurality ofcontainers in succession with each container being of a predeterminedsize.
 12. A method according to claim 2, wherein the container is formedwith at least one aperture which allows for gas to flow through theaperture into, or out of, the cavity.
 13. A method according to claim 3,wherein the container is formed with at least one aperture which allowsfor gas to flow through the aperture into, or out of, the cavity.
 14. Amethod according to claim 2, wherein the pressure differential isestablished by inflating the cavity with a gas, or by applying a reducedpressure to an outer surface of the wall whereby a gas is caused to flowinto the cavity.
 15. A method according to claim 3, wherein the pressuredifferential is established by inflating the cavity with a gas, or byapplying a reduced pressure to an outer surface of the wall whereby agas is caused to flow into the cavity.
 16. A method according to claim4, wherein the pressure differential is established by inflating thecavity with a gas, or by applying a reduced pressure to an outer surfaceof the wall whereby a gas is caused to flow into the cavity.
 17. Amethod according to claim 2, wherein the flexible elongate element isdrawn from a coil, or directly from equipment which is used tomanufacture or process the flexible elongate element.
 18. A methodaccording to claim 3, wherein the flexible elongate element is drawnfrom a coil, or directly from equipment which is used to manufacture orprocess the flexible elongate element.
 19. A method according to claim4, wherein the flexible elongate element is drawn from a coil, ordirectly from equipment which is used to manufacture or process theflexible elongate element.
 20. A method according to claim 5, whereinthe flexible elongate element is drawn from a coil, or directly fromequipment which is used to manufacture or process the flexible elongateelement.